PREVIEW: UNITED V LEICESTER CITY
REPORTS & PREVIEWS
23/08/2017 10:28, Report by Adam Higgins
PREVIEW: UNITED V LEICESTER CITY
Setting the scene… After a whirlwind start to the Premier League season with back-to-back 4-0 wins over West Ham United and Swansea City, the table-topping Reds will be looking to make it a hat-trick of victories before the international break when 2015/16 Premier League champions Leicester City make the trip to Old Trafford for a Saturday evening kick-off. Incidentally, this was the only league match that United scored four goals in last term, in a 4-1 triumph last September, so can Jose Mourinho's men keep up their free-scoring form against the Foxes?
How can I watch it? The game kicks off at 17:30 BST and will be broadcast live on BT Sport in the UK. Subscribers of MUTV on Sky or Virgin Media, the club's MUTV app or online at mutv.com will be able to watch build-up from 15:30 BST in Matchday Live and listen to radio commentary of the game before watching it in full at 18:00 BST on Sunday. You can also keep up with all the action as it happens via ManUtd.com's live match blog and by following our official Twitter account @ManUtd.
How have both sides began the season? Well, it couldn't have started much better for the rampant Reds, who saw off West Ham at Old Trafford on the opening weekend as Romelu Lukaku struck twice on his Premier League debut for the Reds before late goals from Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial. The team then followed it up with another resounding success by the same scoreline against the Swans at the Liberty Stadium last weekend as Eric Bailly scored his first United goal, with Lukaku, Pogba and Martial all on target again in a devastating four-minute spell late on. While Leicester have made a steady start in Craig Shakespeare's first full season in charge - following up a 4-3 defeat away at Arsenal, in which they were 3-1 ahead at one stage, by overcoming newly-promoted Brighton 2-0 with goals from Shinji Okazaki and Harry Maguire, a summer signing from Hull City, in their first home game. The Foxes also joined holders United in the EFL Cup third round after beating Championship side Sheffield United 4-1 on Tuesday night.
Any team news for me? After impressive displays in the opening two games, Mourinho could be tempted to name the same starting line-up for the third successive match. Luke Shaw and Ashley Young are nearing a return to first-team action after both played an hour for United's Under-23s against Swansea on Monday evening, while Marcos Rojo returned to training on Tuesday as he continues his own rehabilitation from a serious knee problem. The boss is likely to give an update on his squad during Friday's pre-match press conference. Meanwhile, Leicester are set to have Vicente Iborra, former Reds midfielder Danny Drinkwater and ex-Manchester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho back after minor injuries, with last season's top scorer Jamie Vardy also fully recovered from the ankle problem which forced him off against Brighton last weekend.
How did we fare against Leicester last term? United enjoyed an excellent record against the Foxes, coming out on top in all three encounters. The Reds started 2016/17 in positive fashion with a 2-1 success over the Foxes at Wembley to claim the Community Shield in Mourinho's first competitive game in charge, before hitting four first-half goals in a crushing 4-1 victory at Old Trafford and running out convincing 3-0 winners at the King Power Stadium in the league.
How did Leicester do last season? Following up a 5,000/1 title triumph was always going to be a tough task for Leicester, but their 12th-placed finish in 2016/17 only tells half the story. Defeat to United in the Community Shield, coupled with N'Golo Kante's departure to Chelsea, set the tone for a miserable few months in which the Foxes won just four league games before Christmas. Claudio Ranieri was named Coach of the Year at the BBC Sports Personality awards evening in December, but was sacked just two months later, despite the club's impressive Champions League performances. Shakespeare's introduction as caretaker boss ultimately steadied the ship, though, as the team narrowly missed out on a place in the last four of the European competition and finished 10 points above the Premier League drop zone.
Who's the referee? Michael Oliver will take charge of Saturday's game at Old Trafford. The 32-year-old FIFA official from Northumberland handled four United matches in 2016/17 and will oversee his first since sending off Ander Herrera in the Emirates FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Chelsea in April. Oliver, who presided over Manchester City's 2-0 win at Brighton on the opening weekend, will be assisted by Simon Bennett and Constantine Hatzidakis, with Craig Pawson on fourth-official duties.
Rivals watch: It's the final weekend in the first month of the campaign with all 20 sides in action on Saturday and Sunday before the Premier League season is put on hold for a fortnight during the international break. Here's the full fixture list:
Saturday 26 August (15:00 BST unless stated)
Bournemouth v Manchester City (12:30)
Crystal Palace v Swansea City
Huddersfield Town v Southampton
Newcastle United v West Ham United
Watford v Brighton
Bournemouth v Manchester City (12:30)
Crystal Palace v Swansea City
Huddersfield Town v Southampton
Newcastle United v West Ham United
Watford v Brighton
Sunday 27 August
West Bromwich Albion v Stoke City (13:30)
Chelsea v Everton (13:30)
Liverpool v Arsenal (16:00)
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley (16:00)
West Bromwich Albion v Stoke City (13:30)
Chelsea v Everton (13:30)
Liverpool v Arsenal (16:00)
Tottenham Hotspur v Burnley (16:00)